232 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
232 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
Moses Blesses the People
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# Chapter 33
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1. This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his death:
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2. "The LORD came from Mount Sinai
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and dawned upon us from Mount Seir;
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he shone forth from Mount Paran
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and came from Meribah-kadesh
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with flaming fire at his right hand.
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3. Indeed, he loves his people;
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all his holy ones are in his hands.
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They follow in his steps
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and accept his teaching.
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4. Moses gave us the LORD's instruction,
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the special possession of the people of Israel.
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5. The LORD became king in Israel--
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when the leaders of the people assembled,
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when the tribes of Israel gathered as one."
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6. Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben:
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"Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out,
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though they are few in number."
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7. Moses said this about the tribe of Judah:
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"O LORD, hear the cry of Judah
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and bring them together as a people.
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Give them strength to defend their cause;
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help them against their enemies!"
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8. Moses said this about the tribe of Levi:
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"O LORD, you have given your Thummim and Urim--the sacred lots--
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to your faithful servants the Levites.
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You put them to the test at Massah
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and struggled with them at the waters of Meribah.
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9. The Levites obeyed your word
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and guarded your covenant.
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They were more loyal to you
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than to their own parents.
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They ignored their relatives
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and did not acknowledge their own children.
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10. They teach your regulations to Jacob;
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they give your instructions to Israel.
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They present incense before you
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and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar.
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11. Bless the ministry of the Levites, O LORD,
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and accept all the work of their hands.
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Hit their enemies where it hurts the most;
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strike down their foes so they never rise again."
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12. Moses said this about the tribe of Benjamin:
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"The people of Benjamin are loved by the LORD
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and live in safety beside him.
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He surrounds them continuously
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and preserves them from every harm."
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13. Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph:
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"May their land be blessed by the LORD
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with the precious gift of dew from the heavens
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and water from beneath the earth;
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14. with the rich fruit that grows in the sun,
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and the rich harvest produced each month;
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15. with the finest crops of the ancient mountains,
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and the abundance from the everlasting hills;
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16. with the best gifts of the earth and its bounty,
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and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush.
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May these blessings rest on Joseph's head,
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crowning the brow of the prince among his brothers.
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17. Joseph has the majesty of a young bull;
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he has the horns of a wild ox.
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He will gore distant nations,
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even to the ends of the earth.
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This is my blessing for the multitudes of Ephraim
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and the thousands of Manasseh."
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18. Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar:
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"May the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels.
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May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents.
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19. They summon the people to the mountain
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to offer proper sacrifices there.
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They benefit from the riches of the sea
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and the hidden treasures in the sand."
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20. Moses said this about the tribe of Gad:
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"Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad's territory!
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Gad is poised there like a lion
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to tear off an arm or a head.
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21. The people of Gad took the best land for themselves;
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a leader's share was assigned to them.
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When the leaders of the people were assembled,
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they carried out the LORD's justice
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and obeyed his regulations for Israel."
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22. Moses said this about the tribe of Dan:
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"Dan is a lion's cub,
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leaping out from Bashan."
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23. Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali:
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"O Naphtali, you are rich in favor
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and full of the LORD's blessings;
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may you possess the west and the south."
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24. Moses said this about the tribe of Asher:
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"May Asher be blessed above other sons;
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may he be esteemed by his brothers;
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may he bathe his feet in olive oil.
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25. May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze;
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may you be secure all your days."
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26. "There is no one like the God of Israel.
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He rides across the heavens to help you,
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across the skies in majestic splendor.
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27. The eternal God is your refuge,
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and his everlasting arms are under you.
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He drives out the enemy before you;
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he cries out, 'Destroy them!'
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28. So Israel will live in safety,
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prosperous Jacob in security,
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in a land of grain and new wine,
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while the heavens drop down dew.
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29. How blessed you are, O Israel!
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Who else is like you, a people saved by the LORD?
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He is your protecting shield
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and your triumphant sword!
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Your enemies will cringe before you,
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and you will stomp on their backs!"
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